Mary from Dungloe (festival)

The Mary From Dungloe International Festival is a popular Irish music festival held annually, usually at the end of July in the small town of Dungloe, County Donegal. The festival is centred on a pageant to find out which contestant has the spirit of the festival, who is then crowned "Mary From Dungloe". The winner of the contest holds this title for a year and acts as an ambassador for the festival. Irish emigrant communities from around the world, as well as some Irish counties and towns, participate by nominating a young woman, endearingly titled a "Mary", to represent their community at the contest. The festival has grown in popularity over the years and now regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the area. The festival is inspired by the song "Mary from Dungloe" as the Rose of Tralee festival is by "The Rose of Tralee". 2019 saw the festival celebrate its 52nd anniversary, with Roisin Maher from New York becoming Mary From Dungloe 2019.

A typical scene at the Mary From Dungloe Festival, 2005.

Participating Communities

Many Communities around the world with links to County Donegal have their own local contests to pick their community's "Mary" who subsequently is nominated to travel to Dungloe to compete in the Mary From Dungloe contest. Irish communities who have entered contestants include:

Traditional festival events

There are a number of traditional events which are run every year as part of the festival. Here are just a few examples:

EventTraditional Location
Opening CeremonyMain St.
Introduction of MFD ContestantsMain St.
Open Air MusicMain St.
Art ExhibitionSharkey's Service Station
Fun FairThe Cope Car Park
Sports DayDungloe Gaelic Athletic Association Grounds
Men's Golf OpenCruit Island Golf Club
Ladies Golf OpenCruit Island Golf Club
Treasure HuntMain St.
Annual 5K Road RaceMain St.
Fly Fishing CompetitionDungloe Marina
Little Miss Mary CompetitionParochial Hall
Table QuizMaghery Community Centre
Junior Table QuizIonad Teampall Cróine
Social Evening with the MarysVarious
Historic Tour of the RossesDeparts Main St.
Interviewing of the MFD ContestantsCarrickfinn Airport
Bonny Baby ShowParochial Hall
Daniel O'Donnell in ConcertFestival Dome
ParadeMain St.
Band CompetitionMain St.
MFD Contest FinalFestival Dome
Gala BallWaterfront Hotel
Closing CeremonyMain St.
This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

2020 Contestants

As the festival has been cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19, the 2020 contestants or 'Marys' will take part in the 2021 festival.

These contestants are as follows


  • Caitlin Finn - London Mary
  • Claire Hassett - Tipperary Mary
  • Shannon Hester - Bayonne Mary
  • Sarah Lawlor - San Francisco Mary
  • Kaitlyn Likas - Washington DC Mary
  • Ellenor Thompson - Glasgow Mary
  • Saoirse Stevenson - New York Mary
  • Olivia Lisowski - Philadelphia Mary
  • - Donegal Mary
  • - Dungloe Mary
  • - Gaeltacht Mary
  • - Wild Atlantic Way Mary

They will be guided by the reigning Mary Roisin Maher from New York.

Contest winners

Below is a complete list of contest winners from 1968 to 2007.

YearWinnerRepresentedOriginally FromAge
1968Celine PowellDublinGalway
1969Marie McGlincheyDonegal
1970Monina HughesArmagh
1971Gloria O'BoyleDonegalBunbeg, Gweedore
1972Carole Mary CarrLimerick
1973Nora BoyleDonegalBurndennet, County Tyrone
1974Maribel Lopez Del HoyaSpain
1975Maureen TempleLondonderry
1976Anne Marie McDaidDerry
1977Sheila T BoyleBayonne
1978Bernice McElroyDown
1979Ann O'CallaghanLouth
1980Marie CoyleGlasgow
1981Noreen GalliganAn Ghaeltacht
1982Debbie O'BrienManchester
1983Máire McColeDungloe
1984Anne Marie MoloneyNew YorkJackson Heights18
1985Sheila HughesMayo
1986Linda FarrellLouth22
1987Maria McGovernDublinDublin
1988Maureen ConnellyWilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaNew York24
1989Carmel KellyDonegalDonegal
1990Anne Marie DownesLouth
1991Pamela SheridanMeath
1992Paula O'ReillyMonaghan
1993Samantha PairmanNorth East England
1994Sarah MulhollandDungloeKincasslagh21
1995Kathleen McMahonNew YorkNew York20
1996Siobhan BignellMelbourneLondon, England24
1997Heather StewartEdinburgh
1998Brighid WilliamsSydney
1999Ciara DiverDerry
2000Shirley McGlynnManchesterDublin21
2001Fiona CallanWicklowWicklow19
2002Jolene McMonagleAn GhealtachtFalcarragh22
2003Aisling FrielGlasgowGlasgow21
2004Lisa Mc KelveyDungloeDungloe20
2005Katie ArmstrongPhiladelphiaPhiladelphia25
2006Jennifer HaltonKildareKildare22
2007Kerry SweeneyEdinburghEdinburgh21
2008Una RooneyArmaghArmagh24
2009Kate FergusonDerryDerry25
2010Jemma FerryEdinburghEdinburgh22
2011Debbie RodgersDungloeBurtonport21
2012Meghan DavisPhiladelphiaWilkes-Barre, PA26
2013Grace SweeneyGlasgowGlasgow27
2014Kate LinsaySydneySydney19
2015Siobhan DunnEdinburghEdinburgh28
2016Eva Ní DhoibhlinnGaeltachtGweedore20
2017Alisha MedfordGlasgowGlasgow20
2018Caroline O'DonnellDungloeLeffin25
2019/2020Roisin MaherNew YorkCarlow27

Entertainers and musicians

Many Irish and international acts have performed at the festival over the years. The traditional annual crowd puller, however, continues to be internationally renowned folk singer Daniel O'Donnell, who made his festival debut in 1985.

Famous comperes

The Mary From Dungloe contest final has been compered by a number of famous faces.

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